Salvage basin for food-waste disposal apparatus



G. K. VIALL March 6, 1956 SALVAGE BASIN FOR FOOD-WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

GEORGE K. VIALL ATTORNEY March 6, 1956 s. K. VIALL SALVAGE BASIN FOR FOOD-WASTE DISPOSAL APPARATUS Filed June 19. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GEORGE K. VIALL INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent SALVAGE BASIN FOR FOOD-WASTE DISPUSAL APPARATUS;

George K. Viali, River Hills, Wis, assignor to Qhain Bait Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application June-19, 1952, Serial No. 2%,431'

6 Claims. (Cl. 13' l-Ill4) This invention relates to apparatus for rinsing tableware and also for salvaging such tableware as may be inadvertently disposed of alongiwith. table-scraps.

It is common. practice now to flush or rinse tableware prior to its being washed in order that table-scraps may not. be baked. on dishesor silverware during washing. Such pre-rinslng or flushing also tends to keep the dishwasher cleaner and relieves it of some of its washing load.

Separate" pre-rinsing' machineshave been used in which warm water' is recirculated for rinsing purposes, and in these machines a device known as a salvage basin 2,737,191 Fatented Mar. 6, 1956 Fig. 2' is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3' is a perspective view of the salvage basin shown in-Figs. 1 and:2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the discharge outlet of the basin, showing a modified form: of the tableware retaining means;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing still another form of such retaining members;

has been employed among other purposes for trapping or salvaging silverware, etc., so that the latter may be reclaimed while table-scraps are flushed either into a catch basket or eventually into a grinder. Anv example of such a machine in which a food-waste grinder is incorporated is that shown in United States Patent 2,593,359,v issued April 15', 195-2, on an application of Strehlow et al.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved salvaging means for machines of the type shown in said Strehlow et al. patent; one from which it is easier to remove the trapped tableware, and which is less apt to be clogged should a large quantity of scraps be encountered.

For sake of uniformity in nomenclature, the salvaging means hereinafter described will also be referred to as a salvage basin.

A further object of the invention. is to provide a salvage basin in which silverware, or for that matter, any type of tableware will be retained, but from which table scraps and table-scrap rinsing water will be constantly discharged, the arrangement being such that the basin is self-draining and self-cleaning, so that upon the completion of the rinsing operation only the reclaimed tableware remains in the basin.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a salvaging basin, means whereby the dishes or the like may be rapped to loosen scraps and in which preferably a stream of water is played on the dishes simultaneously therewith.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved salvage basin for trapping silverware in which a mop or other cleansing means may be used on the dishes while an auxiliary stream of water flushes the scraps from the basin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a salvage basin, where rinsing water is not recirculated, an auxiliary supply of water for flushing the basin while at the same time controlling the flow of water through the grinder.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a pre-rinsing machine with parts broken away to show the disposition and interior of the salvage basin therein;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a pre-rinsing' machine having av modified form: of salvage basin, with. parts. broken away to illustrate additional features: of the invention;

Fig. 7 is aplan. View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8' is a section. taken on. line 88 of. Fig. 6.

In. the drawing wherein like numbers refer tolike parts in. the different. views, the. cabinet 11 is arranged to contain. the: reservoir for holding recirculating rinsing water, the grinder, the: separator and the recirculating pump. all as disclosedv in the' aforesaid. Strehlow et. a1 Patent 2,593,359. The cabinet 11 may stand on the legs (not shown) and is of a height sov that it may fit under the work table 12 and will not interfere with the operator who works over the table and the salvage basim. Only the; salvage basin portion of the: unit need be described herewith as the description. of the rest of the unit may be had from the above patent.

The cabinet 11, which may be: of any desired shape, but: which is here illustrated as round in'horizontalcross section, is provided atv its topwith: an annular rim 13 extending inwardly; and downwardly as: a.- ledge for sup.- porting. the salvage basin 1.4,, which removably' rests thereon. Water is discharged from the: basin through the outlet 15 at one end thereof.

The basin 14', as best illustrated in Fig; 2,. has a generally horizontal section 16 forming anextension: of the peripheral portion; which rests on the rim 16-, said section 16 extending inwardly on: three sides of the basin and preferably slightly downwardly to assist in drainage of any water that. might spatter from objects being rinsed. At one end of the basin, the section 16 extends. slightly over the. discharge outlet 15 and downwardly, forming the ledge 17, which the operator may grasp to lift the basin from the cabinet when. desired.

At the opposite end of the basin, an aperture 18 is provided through which the tube 19 extends, said tube providing the fountain or column of recirculated water for rinsing purposes as explained in the Strehlow et al. patent, the top of the tube 19 being flush with the top of the salvage. basin, thereby locking the basin against movement in the cabinet.

The bottom 20 of the basin 14 slopes gradually downward from the end in which the aperture 18 is located. to its discharge outletv l5 and the downwardly disposed sides 21, which connect the. upper drain portions 14 with the bottom 20, diverge outwardly from the water inlet end and then converge inwardly toward the outlet to provide a generally oval shaped basin presenting a somewhatv rectangular outlet. opening 15. It will be observed that the sides 21 extend beyond the inner marginal edge of the downwardly sloping ledge 17 so that the portion of the bottom 20. which. connects the vertical edges 22 of the lower ends of the sides 2-1 is covered by the: ledge 17.

Inclined upwardly from the bottom, of the basin 20 and terminating in line with theedges 22 defining the outlet 15 are a series of spaced rod-like projections 23 which are welded or otherwise secured to the bottom a short distance inwardly from the outlet. 15. The spacing. of these members 23 is such that they will retain silverware in the basin while enablingtable scraps and rinsing water to pass between them. With the flow of water coming from the other end of the basin, the larger'sc'raps' such as lettuce leaves, bones, etc., are flushed over the members 23, the inclination of the members upwardly toward the outlet 15 and the relatively large quantity of recirculated water emerging from the pipe 19 producing a chuting effect as the scraps are discharged. The silverware being heavier, however, is retained in the basin and is not Washed over the members 23.

The arching column of water, which is directed by the slightly inclined section of the pipe 19, lands on the basin, Where the bottom is sloping toward the discharge outlet, and this is also a factor in promoting discharge of scraps over the retaining members 23. Of course when a dish or cup is passed through the column of water to rinse it, the water stream is deflected, but this is only momentary and between the flooding and rinsing of individual pieces of tableware, the aforesaid flushing action occurs. Such deflection as a plate or the like produces helps to clean the entire basin. Therefore the basin is continuously kept clean of table scraps and is self-draining, all portions of the basin being exposed except that covered by the lip 17, which prevents silverware being dropped through the outlet. Any silverware which falls off the ledge 17 lands in the basin behind the members 23 and is retained by such members from passing through the outlet.

In Fig. 4, a modified form of retaining projections is illustrated consisting of crenulations 24 cut or otherwise formed in the discharge edge of the bottom 20, said crenulations being inclined upwardly toward the outlet to retain tableware and otherwise functioning in a manner equivalent to the rods 23 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. Preferably there are crenulations at each end of the discharge edge, and the edges 22 should be connected to the upper, outer ends of these crenulations to prevent water flowing through the corners of the outlet. The space between the crenulations. while not large enough to permit passage of silverware, nevertheless does pass the rinsing water and smaller scraps which are not flushed over the crenulations.

In Fig. 5, the discharge end of the basin is provided with corrugations 25, the ridges 26 of which also incline upwardly toward the outlet to retain tableware while the valleys 27 therebetween form a continuation of the bottom 20 maintaining drainage from the basin.

It will be further observed, with each of the three forms of discharge lips, the retaining members are self-cleaning due to their upward inclination and the action of the rinsing water flowing over them. Furthermore, egg shells and other heavier particles which would tend to settle in any depressed area in the bottom of the basin are constantly flushed from the basin.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of rapping blocks 28, made of rubber or other softer material against which the edges of the dishes being rinsed may be rapped to loosen scraps which adhere to the dishes. Blocks 28 upstand from the bottom of the basin a short distance below the opening 18, and as here illustrated two blocks are provided. The width of the basin in this area and the height and spacing of the blocks is such that the edges of individual dishes being rapped and held substantially vertically in the process will contact only the blocks and therefore will not be chipped or broken. The location of these blocks with respect to the column of water gushing from the tube 19 enables the water to flood the dishes at the same time as they are brought into rapping contact with the blocks, thus making the rinsing operation speedier and more effective.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive instead of a gusher tube being employed to recirculate water which is separated from the scraps prior to grinding, an auxiliary supply of rinsing water is provided by the hose 29 which is connected to the tap or other source of preferably blended hot and cold water. To this hose, a mop 30 or other cleansing means may be attached as illustrated, the water flow beingcontrolled by a pinch button valve or the like located conveniently at the mop attachment so that the operator may readily control the flow of rinsing water as a dish is brought into contact with the mop.

The basin 14 in this instance is generally the same as that shown in the other embodiment of the invention except that no opening is provided for the tube 19 and instead, an elongated aperture is provided in the side of the cabinet 11 through which the bottom of the basin extends. Integrally secured to this end of the bottom of the basin is the cup 31 the length of which corresponds to the width of this end of the basin. Arranged above the cup 31 is a pipe 32 mounted on the cabinet and having suitable apertures along its bottom through which water is discharged into the cup. The basin i slotted at 33 to permit water caught in the cup to flow across the bottom of the basin and hence through the outlet 15 at its other end. The sides 21 of the basin may conveniently extend through the slot in the cabinet to form the ends of the cup 31.

Since the water supplied by the pipe 32 is not used for rinsing purposes but for flushing the salvage basin of scraps, etc., there is no need to waste warm water, and this supply of water may be cold. A gap should be pro vided between the bottom of the pipe 32 and the top of the cup so that water may overflow and not cause backsiphoning of contaminated water.

With either form of the invention, the basin may be removed by lifting it from the rim on the cabinet. In the form shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it is necessary to elevate the discharge end of the basin first in order to draw the cup extension through the slot in the cabinet. This is desirable however, since any silverware which is still inadvertently left in the basin is further retained and not discharged during removal. The rapping blocks 28 are also incorporated in this form, and being disposed with their longest portion parallel to the flow of water from the pipe 32, they afford a minimum of obstruction to such flow across the basin.

While in some instances the scraps and rinsing water discharged from the basin 14 of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, may be discharged directly into a grinder without the need of a separator, there is some danger with certain types of grinders of over-loading the grinder with water, and to overcome this, there is illustrated more or less diagrammatically a separator for receiving such scraps and rinsing water and then separating some of the water therefrom. The separator 34 as shown consists of stationary rack bars down which the scraps slide while some of the water passes therethrough into the pan 35. These bars can be actuated by mechanism as described in the Strehlow et al. Patent 2,593,359, or other equivalent separating means may be employed.

The pan 35 has sides 36 which extend slightly above the plates 37 which define the sides of the separator to thereby enclose the bottom of the separator and insure that all water passing through the separator is caught. An orifice 38 is provided centrally in the sloping bottom of the pan 35 which communicates with a conduit 39 which leads to the drain 43 on the underside of the grinder 41. Thus the water passing through the separator is by-passed around the grinder dircctiy to the drain by the conduit 3%. The table scraps which work down the separator 34 pass into the grinder stack 42 and hence into the grinder 41 where they are ground and pass to the drain 40.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for receiving table scraps and table-scrap rinsing water and for salvaging tableware comprising a self-draining basin having downwardly disposed sides and a bottom sloping downwardly to one end, said sides and said bottom presenting a discharge outlet for table scraps and rinsing water at said end, and said bottom having spaced projections inclined upwardly in the direction of said outlet terminating adjacent the outlet, and means directing a flow of water into said basin arranged to flush table scraps over and between said projections while the tableware is retained by the projections in the basin.

2. Apparatus for receiving table scraps and tablescrap rinsing water and for salvaging tableware comprising a self-draining basin having downwardly disposed sides and a bottom sloping downwardly to one end, said sides and said bottom presenting a discharge outlet for table scraps and rinsing water at said end, and said bottom having corrugations at said end, the ridges of which slant up wardly from said bottom in the direction of said outlet for retaining tableware in the basin while enabling discharge of table scraps and rinsing water over said ridges and through the valleys formed by the corrugations.

3. Apparatus for receiving table scraps and table-scrap rinsing water and for salvaging tableware comprising a basin having downwardly disposed sides and a bottom sloping downwardly to one end, said sides and said bottom presenting a discharge outlet for table scraps and rinsing water at said end, and said bottom having crenulations at said end slanting upwardly from said bottom in the direction of said outlet for retaining tableware while directing the flow of larger table scraps thereover, the space between the crenulations enabling draining of the basin and passage of smaller table scraps therethrough.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a selfdraining basin having sides and a bottom sloping downwardly to one end, adequate to substantially enclose dishes being rinsed and spaced upstanding elongated rapping blocks arranged on the bottom of said basin, the width of said basin in the region of said blocks and the height of the blocks enabling the edges of dishes being rapped while in a plane substantially transverse to said bottom to contact only the blocks, thereby avoiding chipping or breaking of the dishes by contact with the basin, said blocks being arranged parallel to the flow of water through the basin.

5. Apparatus for removing table scraps from dishes comprising a basin having a bottom sloping downwardly to a discharge outlet, means supplying an arching column of water adjacent the higher end of said basin directed toward the discharge of the basin, and a rapping block upstanding from the bottom of the basin, the disposition of said block relative to said column of water enabling the column of water to be intercepted by a dish while it is substantially entirely within the basin and while its edge is rapped against said block.

6. Apparatus for removing table scraps from dishes and for retaining silverware that may inadvertently be left on dishes comprising a self-draining basin having sides and a bottom sloping downwardly to a discharge outlet at one end, said basin bottom having spaced raised members adjacent its discharge outlet for retaining silverware in the basin while enabling discharge of the scraps and drainage of liquid, and means providing a flow of water across the bottom of said basin from its opposite end for flushing scraps from the basin comprising a waterreceiving cup and means for supplying water to said cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 786,402 Beal Apr. 4, 1905 1,434,066 Rodgers Oct. 31, 1922 1,720,386 Troiel July 9, 1929 1,900,255 Ormsbee Mar. 7, 1933 2,076,688 West Apr. 13, 1937 2,197,178 Gates Apr. 16, 1940 2,400,879 Hilliker May 28, 1946 2,440,051 Lind et a1 Apr. 20, 1948 2,593,359 Strehlon et a1 Apr. 15, 1952 2,615,636 Powers Oct. 28, 1952 

